Category

Published on

13 Jul 2005

Abstract

In 1965, Gordon Moore observed that the number of transistors on a silicon chip doubled every technology generation (12 months at that time, currently 18-24 months). He predicted that this trend would continue for a while. Forty years later, Moore's Law continues to hold. Since the number of transistors in a circuit is a measure of the circuit's computational power, the doubling of transistor counts compounded over a 40 year period has led to an enormous increase in the performance of electronic devices and a corresponding decrease in their cost per function. The result has shaped our modern world by making computers, personal computers, cell phones, portable music players, personal digital assistants, etc. pervasive. This talk is an overview of a technology that shaped the 20th Century and that may have a similarly profound impact on the 21st Century. I'll explain how engineers double the number of transistors per chip, the challenges they face as they strive to continue Moore's Law, and take a brief look at some new technologies that researchers are examining.